Insomnia
by afictionwarrior
Summary: In between the sleep, and a few conversations after the last few chapters of The Shadow Cabinet.
1. Sleep Now

Stephen dragged himself over to where Rory lay. Her chest rose up and down as she heaved in air. He let his mouth fall sleepily onto hers. He listened to her sigh. Behind them, Callum silently a resentfully exchanged money with Boo. When Stephen pulled away, Rory's eyes were half-closed, whether from exhaustion or something else, he couldn't tell. "What was that for?" she whispered.

"You saved my life," he said simply. Looking as if it took all of her energy, she lifted her arm and ran her fingers through his hair, letting her hand rest there. "It's about time I did something right."

Stephen nodded, too tired to argue, and closed his eyes. He let his forehead press against Rory's. "Don't let go of me," she whispered.

"Don't let me go," he replied. Rory pulled his lips back to hers, and they stayed like that, too tired to move until Callum pulled Stephen off of Rory and helped him to the car. When Stephen turned to look back, Boo and Freddie were doing the same with Rory, who's feet dragged and head lolled. "Come on, man," Callum said. "At least make it to the car. You owe me for costing me five pounds." But Stephen was finding that difficult.

The next thing he knew, he was being sat inside what definitely smelled like a taxi. "Rory," he heard himself mutter, although his voice sounded very far away. "Yeah, yeah, lover boy," somebody, (Freddie?), laughed. He felt a small warm body sat next to his. Rory whimpered and snuggled into his side. He moved his arm over her shoulder and leaned against the window. Some part of her that was still conscious moved her hand to rest on his chest. There was no self-control in his body at this point. Boo smiled as she watched Stephen's hand move to hold Rory's. Nobody said anything as they were driven to the Highgate house.

When they reached the safe house, Thorpe was already there. While Freddie and Boo got Rory once again, he helped Stephen inside. "Put her on the couch," he said, a bit out of breath from the events of the night and now having to support Stephen's weight. "I'll bring him upstairs. Freddie, Callum and Boo will be sleeping in yours tonight. Boo, I expect you and Callum to keep things businesslike." Boo nodded, but Thorpe didn't see. He was already trying to bring Stephen up the stairs.

He left a few minutes before Callum walked through the door with some of Stephen's things. Freddie and Boo explained to him what was going on, then Freddie went to bed. Callum and Boo sat in the kitchen, but they couldn't eat. "Boo," Callum said. "I… I'm sorry."

Boo kept her eyes on the counter. "You're not leaving Callum. You can't." Callum reached out, placing his hand on Boo's arm. She turned her head and tried to look at him. "We should go to bed," she said.

"Boo…" She turned and stepped closer to him. "I'm here, Boo. We're all here." He gestured to the living room where Rory snoozed on the couch. Boo looked at the ceiling. Stephen turned over in his sleep. Freddie paused as he murmured out Rory's name, her full name. Freddie smiled and placed Stephen's book of sonnets on the bed and his clothes in the closet. Boo smiled as Callum pulled her into a hug. They went upstairs, not breaking contact with each other at any point for the rest of the night.

The next day, Boo went out shopping for Rory again. When she got back Rory was still asleep on the couch. She ran her finger's through Rory's hair and winced. They'd have to do something about that. She stopped when Rory cried out. It was quiet, but it was enough to alarm Boo. She lowered her head to hear just what Rory was saying, but she couldn't quite make anything out.

She patted Rory's head and went upstairs to check on Stephen. He, too, was still asleep. It looked like he'd kicked most of the covers off the bed. She pulled them back up and piled them up beside him, just to make sure he was comfortable.

When she and Freddie decided to go pick up some lunch, Thorpe was already ahead of them. He had some food in a plastic shopping bag for them. They called Callum down, and together they ate, careful to leave food for Rory and Stephen. Freddie asked, "When do you think they'll wake up?"

"Not sure," Thorpe replied. "Could be a while. They have been through a good bit, haven't they?" The others nodded in agreement.

"What will we do now?" Freddie added.

"I suppose we'll see when they come to, won't we?" Callum said. He stretched out his arms and put one over the back of Boo's chair. Again, the response was nothing but nodding. They would see, and soon, when they were all sitting in the front around a waking Rory. When she did, it was apparent nothing would be very clear to them any time soon.

* * *

AN: This story is called insomnia because the sun is rising as I post this and I only began writing it a few hours ago. I can hear birds chirping outside which is quite peaceful. Thank god I don't have work until 5 pm. Sorry I haven't posted much. I have been having a lot of personal problems lately that I didn't want to affect these stories. I've also been working on personal projects that I hope will one day have their own fanfics being written for them. In any case I want to thank those of you who have contacted me, wanted more. I have been busy trying to update these, but like I said my personal problems kept creeping into my work in ways that did not fit the characters I was working with. You're all very special and dear to me. If anyone has suicidal thoughts or tendencies, or if you are dealing with such things in anyway, remember that there is always help. Call your national suicide hotline if you are desperate, but always tell someone you trust about what you are dealing with and get help. You are never alone. ~Moni~


	2. Everybody's Fine

Thorpe was back to pick up Rory. He sat in the car, the impatient movement of his leg shaking the car. Rory ran to the passenger door. She held her coat and scarf wrapped tight around her shivering body. She slipped a bit on a patch of ice right by the car and slammed into the door to catch herself. "It's about time," Thorpe said gingerly as she settled in.

Rory ignored this statement, instead deciding to try to focus on the heat of the car. She watched Wexford grow smaller in her side mirror. She and Thorpe didn't talk much on their way to pick up Stephen. They both had their own thoughts to tend to. Like how neither of them were very excited about where they were going.

Thorpe apparently had a key. Rory was surprised to find no crime scene tape, nor any evidence of what had happened only a few days before. Hadn't she just been here with blood on her hands? Did she really lie on this couch without a pulse? What had she done in that time? She was struggling to remember, grasping for something, some beam of light as to how Stephen and she were alive. She followed Thorpe up the stairs.

Stephen was this time not lying still under the covers in a white t-shirt, but instead sitting on the edge of the bed without a shirt. Rory felt like she could actually breathe at the sight of him. Stephen, however, became embarrassed upon seeing her. Despite continuing to hold onto his serious demeanor, his cheeks were colored pale pink. "You're finished, Stephen. For today, at least. You can dress," said the doctor.

"How does he look, Marigold?" Thorpe was sitting in the chair, his coat draped over the back.

"I'll tell you in a moment. Aurora, I'd like to examine you, too. Please remove your layers and sit," she replied, not looking up from whatever she was writing.

Rory looked from Stephen to Thorpe to Marigold. "I- I'm sorry?"

The doctor looked up finally and repeated, "Please remove your layers and sit. I'd like to examine you."

Rory shook her head and laid her coat, hoodie, and one of her sweaters on the bed. She sat on the bed beside Stephen, who unfortunately had his shirt back on. Marigold turned to Thorpe, still looking at her notes. "Well, he seems to be as healthy as he was before the accident. It's strange, though. There should be some sign of trauma, somewhere, but there just isn't. His brain shows no sign of swelling, his heart is as strong as ever. There's nothing wrong with him. It's as if this never happened."

Stephen sighed, but only Rory heard. She looked at him. He did look healthy. His eyes turned to her, and she saw some ghost of a smile. Rory looked away; she was trying to focus on keeping her teeth from chattering. "Jane did say something about that," she blurted. "She said that when he came back he would be fixed from the inside out. Something about… the soul rejoining the body?" Rory made a face.

Something on Thorpe beeped. "Good," he said, checking his phone. "I have to go. Stephen, would you stay with Rory and make sure she gets back safely. I still don't think she knows London well enough. I don't want her getting lost, or running off."

"I am right here," Rory said through clenched teeth. Nobody responded. Stephen only nodded to Thorpe. Without another word, he left.

"Rory, take off your shirt please. I need to do a medical exam," Marigold said.

Stephen cleared his throat with a pointed glance at me. "I'm just… I'll be waiting outside."

Even when he was out of the room, Rory made no attempt to undress. Marigold waited expectantly. "No offense," Rory said, "but the last time I got undressed in your house, bad things happened. So I'm gonna have to say 'no thanks.'"

"Rory, do not be difficult," Stephen said from the other side of the door. Of course he was listening. Rory stared at the door for a moment before finally relenting and removing her shirt. She covered her bare chest self-consciously. "Considering I only have one bra at the moment, and I've been wearing it for a few days… Yeah."

"Rory, there's no reason to be embarrassed. I'm a doctor." Marigold went through the routine Rory expected; the cold stethoscope, light in the eyes. Rory felt like some sort of alien almost. She felt fine. There was no reason for this. They let Stephen back in as soon as Rory had replaced her shirt. He sat in the chair as Marigold took some blood samples from Rory. "Now, I would like you to tell me about a few things. You are what has been described to me as a terminus? An ability unique to you only?"

"Um…" Rory looked at Stephen. "Yeah?"

"And how is that affecting you? Anything you're worried about?"

"No. Well, yeah, but it's okay. I can deal with it."

"What? Rory, what's wrong?" Stephen asked. He leaned forward in alarm.

"It's nothing, just… Well, a few days ago, the last time I blasted a ghost… It _hurt._ I couldn't breathe. Boo and Callum had to help me back to the car and I slept for a while after that. That was actually right before we came over here. It's getting worse every time. But I was thinking about it and maybe it was only because I didn't touch him, he touched me. That's happened before, where I've gotten sick when a ghost touched me and not the other way around. And he was a really old ghost, like he's been dead for a long time. Usually it just feels kind of tingly, like static. I don't know. It's not like we'll ever really know," Rory trailed off.

"While it's true, there is no way really to test this, we can try to prevent it. Perhaps gloves. Try it the next time you encounter an entity and let me know next time you see me. Is there anything else?"

"No," Rory sighed. "I guess not."

"Then you are both good to go for today. I will need to see you again within the next two weeks, though." Both nodded as Stephen helped Rory put her coat on.

Rory decided they should get something to eat before taking the tube back to the flat, and Stephen didn't disagree. They ended up at fast food restaurant getting burgers and fries. Rory chewed slowly as she watched Stephen eat. She dipped a fry into her ketchup. "I have to tell you something," she said, keeping her eyes on the soggy fry. Stephen looked at her, his brow knit. He swallowed his burger and said, "What is it?"

"You're probably going to be mad at me… I told Jerome and Jazza everything today…"

"When you say everything, what do you mean?" Stephen studied Rory as she looked down at her food. She looked guilty, almost upset.

"I- I didn't tell them about you all. I didn't tell them what I was doing or where I was staying, but… I felt like they deserved to know something. Especially Jerome, considering he helped so much the other night and we didn't tell him anything. I just told them about ghosts and Jane because after everything I've put them through it seems wrong not to."

"I agree with you," Stephen said, casually taking another bite of his burger.

"What?"

"I said I agree with you. Jerome did deserve to know something. I'm not worried about the information you gave them, as long as you didn't disclose anything that could put you in danger. Why do you look so surprised?"

"I thought you would be mad," Rory said. "I thought you would try to lecture me, or yell at me that I've just put us all in danger because you don't trust either of them not to say anything."

"Well, Julianne, I hear, has been talking to your parents. From observation. she seems fairly honest, but she also seems to know when a lie is required. Do you trust her?"

"Absolutely."

"Okay, then." Stephen sipped some of his coke out of the straw as if to make a point.

"What about Jerome?"

"What about him?"

"Aren't you afraid he's going to go on some website and tell anyone who will listen about this? Thorpe was a few days ago. He kept threatening him."

"I'm not Thorpe. Jerome seems obviously protective of you. He did help us a lot the other night. I don't think he'll tell anyone anything. Not if it would endanger you. You trust him. I trust you. "

Rory took a moment just to stare at Stephen, to take in what he said. She reached across the table to grab his hand. She felt a shock of deja vu, but quickly ignored it. "Thank you," she said. They held each other's gaze. Rory quickly let go of Stephen's hand and grabbed one of his fries.

"Hey!" He did not try very hard to grab it back.

Rory dipped it in ketchup and smiled. "Sorry! I'm all out," she laughed and popped it into her mouth. She saw a faint smile grace Stephen's face, though he tried to hold it back. "Back at home, I would never bring my own lunch to school cause I never had time to pack it, but I hated the lunch lines. I also rarely had any pocket change to get anything from the vending machines, but trust me, whenever I found a quarter, I acted like a peasant who was able to feast. Anyway, my friends were worried I had an eating disorder even though I tried to explain to them I was just lazy and stupid. They would throw anything they didn't want at me. Someone would sacrifice a fruit roll-up, another would give me carrot sticks. I kept trying to explain to them that I wasn't starving myself. If anything, I'm a binge eater. They never believed me, even when we went out to eat and I had my card. I would get the most out of everyone, but come Monday they would still ask me if I needed to see a doctor or something." Rory finished off her burger and shrugged.

Stephen listened intently as he drank some coke. He nodded when she was finished, at this point used to her tales. "So you aren't sick, you're just too lazy to make your own food."

"When I was in school," she corrected. "I make a mean meal when I have time. I had my credit card, but my school didn't take them. I didn't have time in the mornings cause I liked my sleep. At night, I would normally do my homework until I fell asleep on top of it and my parents had to make me go to bed. I used to be very good at school. I think the shift is really what got to me. I don't think I was as ready for Wexford as I thought I was…" Stephen let her reminisce for a moment. He pushed his fries closer to her and she ate them absentmindedly.

When all the food was finally gone, he stood and stacked their trays. "Ready?" Rory nodded and stood as Stephen threw their trash away. She kept her hands clasped around her hot coffee as they walked to the tube. "It's almost Christmas," she said.

"It almost is."

"We don't have a tree." She looked up at him.

"We don't have room for one."

"Not even a little one? Like a little Charlie Brown Christmas tree?" She gave him her best puppy dog eyes.

Stephen raised his eyebrow as he looked down to her. "Fine," he said. "We'll get a tree tonight." Even on the tip of her toes, Rory wasn't tall enough to reach him. She grabbed onto his scarf and pulled him down enough to kiss his cheek. He let her.

AN: I would really appreciate feedback! I can't get enough! Love y'all wee starchildren.


	3. The Eyes Come to You

Stephen Dene slid his hands under his glasses and rubbed his face tiredly. His eyes had begun to hurt from the white light of his computer screen compared to the darkness around him. He checked the time in the corner of his laptop. Almost three in the morning. He sighed and continued to scroll through twitter. Of course he did not have an account for himself; he was only doing research.

He came across a picture he found almost embarrassed to look at, but he clicked on it anyway. She had posted this for whatever reason so hopefully it could give him some sort of insight. Her hair was a bit shorter, and she had much less clothing on than she did days earlier when he met her. This had been taken in October of the year prior, and the caption said "Voodoo Fest with only the best!" On her head was a tiara of flowers. She was wearing what looked like some sort of lacy bra and ripped jean shorts. A tall, tan boy had his arm around her naked waist and a girl with beautiful dark skin had an arm over her shoulders. This girl he recognized from many other photos she'd been featured in. On Twitter, Aurora Deveaux's screen name was RoryDeBest. There she was the opposite of how she had appeared to him. Stephen thought she was pale with dark hair when he met her. In the pictures, her skin was darker and her hair was lighter.

He clicked another tab that was open. On Facebook she was a bit more conservative, most likely, he thought, because her parents were friends with her on here. On here, her name was just Rory Deveaux and she was clothed completely in all of her pictures, unless they were taken at the beach. They did not seem to have uniforms at her school in Louisiana. There weren't only pictures including her friends, but her family as well; many of them were of her and her grandmother, although the woman seemed too young.

Among these two sites, Stephen had been researching many of Aurora's other social networks. He decided to take a break from stalking her. Callum had only been teasing Stephen when he had said that, but now Stephen could not get that thought out of his mind, which was disturbing. He did not know what he had been expecting of Aurora Deveaux to be like, but it was most certainly nothing like this. In every picture, though, he could not help but pay close attention to her eyes. The ones this false Ripper wanted to pluck out. If it had not been for that one statement, Stephen would most likely not have had to worry about Aurora this much.

"You still up, yeah?" He looked up to find Boo standing in his doorway. He pulled his sheets up. Though he was in a t-shirt and boxer shorts, he felt exposed. "Alright?"

"Yeah," he said, watching her come over and sit beside him on his bed. From what he'd gathered, she wasn't much one for personal space. "Why are you up?"

Boo shrugged. "Couch isn't comfy."

"I'm sorry," he sighed. "Soon you'll at least have your own bed, even if you don't have much privacy."

"That's fine. I'm not really used to having lots of privacy anyway. Lots of family. Little house. Is this her?" Boo reached over and pulled the computer off of Stephen's lap. Stephen nodded. "She seems fun. Really pretty." Stephen was unsure what to say, although he agreed with her sentiment. He just nodded again as he looked through the pictures with Boo. Boo eyed him. "Just wonderin'... You got a girlfriend?"

Her question caught him off guard. "Um… No."

"You ever had one?"

His brow practically collapsed on itself. "Technically. If you count primary."

Boo smiled. "I don't. You ever been kissed then? On the lips? With tongue?"

His face felt hot and he was just glad his room was dark. "Why are you asking me this?"

"Trying to get a feel for you. I got my first kiss when I was 13. It was alright. He was 16. Had braces though, and was kind of sloppy. Pretty sure I was in love, but it didn't work out. Few weeks later saw him getting off with some girl on the Tube." Stephen stared as Boo laughed. "I got over it. The next relationship went much smoother. So anyway, you never really kissed anyone?"

She had caught him off guard. Stephen could not stop himself from saying, "I didn't say that. I've never really been in a relationship is what I said."

"Ohh, Stephen's a player," Boo laughed.

He adjusted his glasses, ending the conversation. "When you meet her, you can't call her Rory, which seems to be what she prefers. You are not supposed to know anything about her so just call her Aurora. Like she'll call you Bhuvana."

Boo absorbed this, but decided to continue on with what she was saying. "And a gentleman, too. Won't kiss and tell."

Stephen sighed and took back his laptop. Boo took this as her cue and hopped off his bed. "Boo," he said just as she reached the door. "You can do this. You're a people person. If anyone of us can get close to her, you can."

Boo bit her lip and shut his door. She could not tell just yet, but she thought maybe Stephen was starting to warm up to the idea of letting people in. He just needed a little push.

* * *

AN: Hello my lovely friends. I have not posted anything on here in a while, and for that, I am sorry. I cannot promise this will not happen again. Encouragement would help so PLEASE REVIEW. I will try to work on something for OIFAN and ETS also. Love ya! (p.s. god I would love to see someone make a trailer for Name of the Star. I would esp like to act in it but mostly I'd just love to see it. I love book trailers.)


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